A black adrenocortical adenoma causing Cushing's syndrome not imaged by radiocholesterol scintigraphy.
In a 33-year-old female patient with left adrenal tumour and Cushing's syndrome, adrenocortical scintigraphy with radiocholesterol did not image the tumour nor the suppressed contralateral gland. Histology showed a black adrenocortical adenoma composed only of compact cells; there was no evidence of malignancy. This demonstrates that non-visualization of the adrenal glands in a patient with Cushing's syndrome is not invariably due to adrenal carcinoma. The literature on black adrenal adenomas causing Cushing's syndrome is reviewed.
Reschini
E
E
Service of Nuclear Medicine, Ospedale Maggiore di Milano, Italy.
Baldini
M
M
Cantalamessa
L
L
D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012643:Selenium; D012644:Selenium Radioisotopes
D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D012644:Selenium Radioisotopes; C045082:6-selenomethylcholesterol; D002784:Cholesterol; D012643:Selenium